tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post4116946155236181783..comments2023-11-02T19:19:15.129+05:30Comments on Death Ends Fun: 62 yearsDilip D'Souzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221707482541503243noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-51247503907762957822009-10-13T20:40:31.001+05:302009-10-13T20:40:31.001+05:30Not only propaganda, but 62 terrorist training cam...Not only propaganda, but 62 terrorist training camps, including 10 that have been opened *after* the Mumbai terror attack. And all D'Souza writes is about some poor Pakistani military officer unable to get a visa to come to India. Tasteless.Chandru Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-78692178209930067642009-10-10T00:04:05.082+05:302009-10-10T00:04:05.082+05:30"when I was your age, I really wanted to join..."when I was your age, I really wanted to join the Army and I had only one thought -- defeat India! But then I met a group of Indians who had come to Pakistan and I realized how idiotic I had been."<br /><br /> To what extent is this outlook in any way a reflection of the policies and attitudes of the Pakistani military establishment(which, as stated before, is the real ruling entity in Pakistan) the Islamic fundamentalists, and large numbers of Punjabis, who are considered the 'martial races' from British days? And while what the officer said about how stupid it is to go on fighting is commendable, isn't it a fact that the Pakistani military and Jihadists have shifted their policy to one of 'low intensity warfare'? The idea being to harm( which means kill, BTW) India enough so that it is forced to make concessions on Kashmir, the big 'prize' of Pakistan?Chandru Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-38734214424338230882009-10-09T14:47:09.089+05:302009-10-09T14:47:09.089+05:30Thank you, anon above, for saying what you did. It...Thank you, anon above, for saying what you did. It's more or less an accurate characterization of the Major.<br /><br />There was an interesting moment during his visit. He had come with his son, a teacher now 55 or so. We were sitting with a Kapurthala family including several young men (22-23). The son told them quietly, "when I was your age, I really wanted to join the Army and I had only one thought -- defeat India! But then I met a group of Indians who had come to Pakistan and I realized how idiotic I had been."Dilip D'Souzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08221707482541503243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-22705393410867301202009-10-09T09:10:38.024+05:302009-10-09T09:10:38.024+05:30As far as I know, most folks in India & Pakist...As far as I know, most folks in India & Pakistan join the armed forces not because they want to 'kill the 'enemy', but because it's a good, secure government job, with a retirement & medical coverage. In countries where everyone is struggling to make ends meet, that's huge. <br />Bottom line, one can't decide that members of the armed forces of either country have no other thought in mind but to kill the 'enemy'. <br />Most probably, more than anyone else, they have learned the futility of trying to settle disputes through war. <br />Another thing, not all Pakistani army personnel were part of the various martial law regimes, especially among those who joined the army right after partition. This is most probably true of the Major in this story. <br />This is just the story of an old man who wanted to meet his childhood friend again. & he finally managed to do it. <br />That's good news.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-79185730574080027132009-10-08T00:47:01.699+05:302009-10-08T00:47:01.699+05:30"Would you say that of an officer in the Indi..."Would you say that of an officer in the Indian Army? Why or why not?"<br /><br /> False equation between Indian and Pakistani officers. The Pakistani military not only represents the real ruling force in Pakistan, it is an entity that is fiercely anti-Indian( and anti-democratic, anti-secular and anti-plural), and they've shown it over and again. The Indian military is apolitical, it is not unduly lionised, and it is purely a defensive organisation. There is no hard ideological anti-anybody position hard-wired into its genes like the Pakistani military.Chandru Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-57551198466892478872009-10-07T23:53:01.237+05:302009-10-07T23:53:01.237+05:30UK: speaking for myself, and I've said this be...UK: speaking for myself, and I've said this before: I'm proud that we are trying Kasab, and thus showing we are a country that believes not in shooting people like he and his pals did, but in law and order and justice. We fall short of ideals in other ways, but let's at least acknowledge this attempt to live up to one.<br /><br />The meeting between the old friends moved me no end. At least a couple of the comments already on this page are by themselves the argument for trying to make more such meetings happen. <br /><br /><i>he is no Saint</i>.<br /><br />Would you say that of an officer in the Indian Army? Why or why not? Think about it. Again, this pronouncement is more reason for more such meetings.Dilip D'Souzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08221707482541503243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-30481985119945114632009-10-07T19:50:29.440+05:302009-10-07T19:50:29.440+05:30Wow :)Wow :)Prasoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03761262579697169344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-13777243417042474452009-10-07T18:58:44.234+05:302009-10-07T18:58:44.234+05:30So, what was the post all about. Making a 84yr old...So, what was the post all about. Making a 84yr old Pakistani happy or lamenting that he was earlier denied a visa?<br /><br />Germany fought and butchered tens of thousands of neighboring country men before WW-II. After WW - II, they made their peace and have been peacefully co existing (with a single currency) and open borders for last 6 decades. <br /><br />Unfortunately, here Pakistan is hell bent on seeing to it that no matter what happens to itself, it will try to cut & bleed India as much as possible. With that attitude, why should it be surprising that a Ex Major did not get his visa. <br /><br />After all, he is no Saint.XOnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-17151025239043400602009-10-07T18:53:07.852+05:302009-10-07T18:53:07.852+05:30Actually, India needs to reduce and eliminate cont...Actually, India needs to reduce and eliminate contact with Pakistan, until the whole composition and ideology of Pakistan changes totally. Pakistan is a country where the military dominates everything, even when there is nominally a civilian government in power. It was shocking to learn that 70% of the capitalisation of the Karachi stock exchange is accounted for by military owned firms. There are a few, but vocal, naive or blind Indians who have this belief that if Indians reach out to the people, all will be well. But, (apart from the fact that at least 40% of the Pakistani population supports terrorism in Kashmir), every time there is a kind of civic engagement or reaching out, the military steps in to show who's the boss. Witness Kargil, Mumbai and the umpteen Kashmir terror attacks.Chandru Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-50154797145405769822009-10-07T17:19:47.357+05:302009-10-07T17:19:47.357+05:30Amen!
:)Amen!<br /><br />:)Sidhusaahebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-3314744531799356952009-10-07T12:35:34.400+05:302009-10-07T12:35:34.400+05:30All the ancient prophets, saints etc have all fail...All the ancient prophets, saints etc have all failed utterly in their tasks. Modern day politicians and liberals have only complicated it even further. <br /><br />Sheer personal indifference and the Fable of the Three Monkeys might just shore up things a bitAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-60527446030611649842009-10-07T12:30:12.844+05:302009-10-07T12:30:12.844+05:30and Oh....why don't you write about something ...and Oh....why don't you write about something happy.<br /><br />Coming to these plethora of plaques, Indira, her Sikh opponents and their perceived supporters were unreasonable in their ambitions and hence they deserved whatever they got. <br /><br />Only consolation is that I didn't have any part in this saga. So I sleep in peace. Only that bleeding heart liberals are envious of my peace and they pound me everyday with their banality...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-44180882380148181632009-10-07T10:11:09.850+05:302009-10-07T10:11:09.850+05:30I know this is a naive comment. But I cant help fe...I know this is a naive comment. But I cant help feeling that the politicians of both countries need to be removed/fired/cashiered or whatever. People to people the two countries would have managed living peacefully. <br /><br />In the meanwhile ISI trains Kasab types, and we bend over backwards to appear to be just, even though the proof of his guilt is there in technicolor. <br /><br />And I am so glad you were able to unite these two senior friends...Ugich Konitarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15901335427613806798noreply@blogger.com